Improvement in railroad-car brakes



' J. DAVIS.

Car Brake. No. 43.010. Patentedlune 7, 1864.

" I 1! I W Witnesses=/ Q Inventor:

WJAZ zgwwdfl v AM. PHOTO-LITHGv C0. NY. (OSB'JRNE'S PRUCESS.)

UNITED STATES PATENT FrIcE.

JOHN DAVIS, OF ALLEGHENY CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAlL-ROAD'CAR. BRAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 43,010, dated June 7, i864; antednted January 2, 1864.

Tu aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that 1, JOHN DAVIS, of Allegheny City, in the county of Allegheny and btate ofPennsylvania,haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Railroad-Gar Brakes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in a combination and arrangement of levers, rods, and springs, which are so arranged and combined with brakes of railroad-cars that the moment that the locomotive ceases to draw the brakes are brought to bear with force on the wheels and relieved or taken off the wheels by the first drawing power of the locomotive, the whole being constructed, arranged, combined, and operating in the manner hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in 'tLe art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents an end view of an ordinary cartruck furnished. with my improvement. Fig. 2 represents a top view of the same. Fig. 3 IGPIGSGDtS a side view of the same. Fig.4

iepresents a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 5 is a brokr 11 section representing a bottom view of the bolster and the springs attached to it.

In the accompanying drawings, a represents the frame of the truck. 1) represents the wheels. 0 represents the axles of the wheels I). d represents the brakes. 0 represents the brake-beams. f represents the suspensionrods of the brakes and beams. 1) represents the bolster.

The frame, wheels, axles, brakes, brake springs 2 on the brakes d. The rods 1 are also furnished with flanges 6, against which the short end of the levers h act or press when throwing back the brakes from ofi' the wheels I). The levers hare attached to the pieces marked 1', which are attached to the sides of the bolster p. To the upper or long end of the levers h are attached rods m, which are attached to the vibrating lever a, which is attached to the piece marked 0, which also is secured to the bolster To the lever m are also attached rods j and 7c. The rod j is furnished with a projection, 7, and a notch, 10, which are used in connection with the catch 3 for holding the brakes in a fixed position when so desired. The catch yis furnished with a spring, on the end of which is placed a pulley, which is used in connection with the pulleys S for the cord B, which is used for ti o purpose of operating the catch 3 The spring 2 is used for taking up the slack of the cord B, which passes over the pulleys S and under the pulley on the end of the spring 2.

The arrangement of the spring 2 and its pulley and the catch y and its attachment to the frame of the truck is clearly shown in Fig. 1.

q represents an ordinary hand-lever, which is used in connection with the pall and ratchet 1 and s, for operating the brakes by handpower. To the lower end of the hand-lever q is attached the rope t, which is also connected to the rod 9', which is conne-tel by means of link 4 to the piece marked 9 on the coupling a of the locomotive or the next car.

on represents the ordinary swivel-plate of the bolster p, and is held in position by means of the screw-bolt g.

3 represents the ordinary coupling-link, and is made longer than link 4, so that the first action of the locomotive will be to draw on the rod j, and thereby take off the brakes.

5 represents coupling-pins.

I wish it clearly understood that I do not confine myself to any particular size or form of the various parts connected with my invention. These things I leave to the skill and de sire of the mechanic, or those who may use my improvement.

The operation of my invention is as follows: Having all things constructed, arranged, and combined as herein described and represented,

force back the beams e and brakes d from off the wheels I). If I desire to hold the brakes ofi the wheels, I draw off the catch y by means of cord B, so that it will come up back of the proiection 7 on the rod j, and it I desire to hold the brakes on, so as to overcome the momentum of the loeolnotive'when stopping the I train, the catch 3 is then drawn up into notch 10, in rod j.

WVhen I wish to take the brakes off by hand-power, I turn the hand-lever q, which will wind up the chain t, which will 1 move the levers h and :10 in the desired direc- 1 tion for relieving the brakes from the wheels I).

It will be observed that the operation of my improvement in brakes is the reverse of those in common usethat is to say, to put the brakes on Islacken up the chains or rods and the levers. In common practice they are drawn or wound up. To take the brakes off, I draw the chains or rods up. The common practice is to slacken them up.

Having thus described the nature, construction, and operation of my improvement, what I claim as of my invention is-- Ihe use of rods in, l, and m, levers h and .r, springs 2, and catchy, or their equivalents, when used in combination with brakes, which are operateo substantially in the manner herei 11 described, and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN DAVIQ.

\Nitnesses JAMES J. JOHNSTON, ALEXANDER, HAYs. 

